[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 5, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D354-D357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Committee Meetings
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FDA
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a 
hearing on Department of Agriculture--FY 2012 Budget Request. Testimony 
was heard from Harris Sherman, Under Secretary for Natural Resources 
and Environment.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Legal Services 
Corporation--FY 2012 Budget Request. Testimony was heard from the 
following Legal Services Corporation officials: James J. Sandman, 
President; and Robert J. Grey Jr., Member of the Board of Directors.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Financial Services and 
General Government held a hearing on General Services Administration, 
FY 2012 Budget. Testimony was heard from Martha N. Johnson, 
Administrator, GSA.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, STATE
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Office of the United 
States Trade Representative--FY 2012 Budget Request. Testimony

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was heard from Ambassador Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative.
HOMELAND SECURITY
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a 
hearing on WMD Countermeasures--Threat, Programs, and Funding. 
Testimony was heard from Alexander Garza, Assistant Secretary for 
Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer; and Warren Stern, Director, 
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. This was a classified and closed 
hearing.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on United States 
Court of Appeal for Veterans Claims. Testimony was heard from Bruce 
Kasold, Chief Judge.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS
Committee on Appropriations: Subcommittee on Military Construction, 
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing on Armed Forces 
Retirement Home. Testimony was heard from Steve McManus, Acting Chief 
Operating Officer.
FY 2012 BUDGET--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a 
hearing on fiscal year 2012 national defense authorization budget 
request for Department of Energy atomic energy defense activities and 
Department of Defense nuclear forces programs. Testimony was heard from 
Thomas P. D'Agostino, Administrator, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Department of Energy; Ines R. Triay, Assistant 
Secretary for Environmental Management, Department of Energy; Peter S. 
Winokur, Chairman, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; Major 
General William A. Chambers, USAF, Assistant Chief of Staff of the Air 
Force, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration; Department of 
Defense; Rear Admiral Terry Benedict, USN, Director, Strategic Systems 
Programs; and Andrew C. Weber, Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, Office of the 
Secretary of Defense.
FY 2012 BUDGET--NATIONAL DEFENSE
Committee on Armed Services: Full Committee held a hearing on fiscal 
year 2012 national defense authorization budget requests from the U.S. 
Transportation Command and U.S. Africa Command. Testimony was heard 
from General Duncan J. McNabb, USAF, Commander, U.S. Transportation 
Command; and General Carter F. Ham, USA, Commander, U.S. Africa 
Command.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Energy and Commerce: Full Committee held a markup on the 
following: H.R. 1343, to Clarify NTIA and RUS Authority to Return 
Reclaimed Stimulus Funds to the U.S. Treasury; H.R. 1217, to repeal the 
Prevention and Public Health Fund, as reported by the Subcommittee on 
Health; H.R. 1216, to amend the Public Health Service Act to convert 
funding for graduate medical education in qualified teaching health 
centers from direct appropriations to an authorization of 
appropriations, as reported by the Subcommittee on Health; H.R. 1215, 
to amend title V of the Social Security Act to convert funding for 
personal responsibility education programs from direct appropriations 
to an authorization of appropriations, as reported by the Subcommittee 
on Health; H.R. 1214, to repeal mandatory funding for school-based 
health center construction, as reported by the Subcommittee on Health; 
and H.R. 1213, to repeal mandatory funding provided to States in the 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to establish American Health 
Benefit Exchanges, as reported by the Subcommittee on Health. All bills 
were ordered reported without amendment. H.R. 1343 was ordered reported 
with amendment. The following were ordered reported without amendment: 
H.R. 1213; H.R. 1214; H.R. 1216; and H.R. 1217.
MISCELLANEOUS MEASURES
Committee on Financial Services: Subcommittee on Capital Markets and 
Government Sponsored Enterprises, markup on the following: H.R. 31, the 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Accountability and Transparency for 
Taxpayers Act; H.R. 1221, the Equity in Government Compensation Act of 
2011; H.R. 1222, the GSE Subsidy Elimination Act of 2011; H.R. 1223, 
GSE Credit Risk Equitable Treatment Act of 2011; H.R. 1224, the 
Portfolio Risk Reduction Act of 2011; H.R. 1225, the GSE Debt Issuance 
Approval Act of 2011; H.R. 1226, the GSE Mission Improvement Act of 
2011; and H.R. 1227, the GSE Risk and Activities Limitation Act of 
2011. This markup was continued to April 6, time and room TBA.
NEED FOR SYSTEMIC REFORMS AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT 
INSPECTOR GENERAL
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on Watching 
the Watchers: The Need for Systemic Reforms and Independence of the 
State Department Inspector General. Testimony was heard from Jeanette 
M. Franzel, Managing Director, Financial Management and Assurance Team, 
GAO; and

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Harold W. Geisel, Deputy Inspector General, Department of State.
FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND NEEDS AMIDST ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN SOUTH 
ASIA
Committee on Foreign Affairs: Subcommittee on the Middle East and South 
Asia held a hearing on Assessing U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities and 
Needs Amidst Economic Challenges in South Asia. Testimony was heard 
from Robert O. Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and 
Central Asian Affairs, Department of State; Nisha Desai Biswal, 
Assistant Administrator for Asia, Agency for International Development; 
Daniel Feldman, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and 
Pakistan, Department of State; and Donald Sampler, Deputy Director, 
Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, Agency for International 
Development.
BORDER SECURITY AT PORTS OF ENTRY
Committee on Homeland Security: Subcommittee on Border and Maritime 
Security held a hearing entitled ``Using Resources Effectively to 
Secure Our Border at Ports of Entry--Stopping the Illicit Flow of 
Money, Guns and Drugs''. Testimony was heard from Thomas Winkowski, 
Assistant Commissioner, Customs and Border Protection, Department of 
Homeland Security.
USING MILITARY COMMISSIONS TO TRY THE 9/11 CONSPIRATORS
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and 
Homeland Security held a hearing entitled ``Justice for America: Using 
Military Commissions to Try the 9/11 Conspirators''. Testimony was 
heard from public witnesses.
SAFE FOR AMERICA ACT
Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and 
Enforcement held a hearing on H.R. 704, SAFE for America Act. Testimony 
was heard from Rep. Goodlatte; and public witnesses.
FY 2012 BUDGET--BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT EFFECT ON PRIVATE SECTOR JOB 
CREATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Full Committee held a hearing entitled 
``Effect of the President's FY-2012 Budget and Legislative Proposals 
for the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service's Energy 
and Minerals Programs on Private Sector Job Creation, Domestic Energy 
and Minerals Production and Deficit Reduction.'' Testimony was heard 
from Bob Abbey, Director, Bureau of Land Management; Tony Ferguson, 
Director, Minerals and Geology Management, USDA Forest Service; and 
public witnesses.
INDIAN LAND FRACTIONATION
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska 
Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 887, to direct the Secretary of the 
Interior to submit a report on Indian land fractionation, and for other 
purposes. Testimony was heard from public witnesses.
CREATING ABUNDANT WATER AND POWER SUPPLIES AND JOB GROWTH
Committee on Natural Resources: Subcommittee on Water and Power held a 
hearing on ``Creating Abundant Water and Power Supplies and Job Growth 
by Restoring Common Sense to Federal Regulations.'' Testimony was heard 
from public witnesses.
POSTAL WORKFORCE COSTS
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Full Committee held a 
hearing entitled ``Are Postal Workforce Costs Sustainable?'' Testimony 
was heard from the following United States Postal Service officials: 
Louis J. Giuliano, Chairman, Board of Governors; James C. Miller III, 
Governor; and Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive 
Officer.
WASTE, ABUSE AND MISMANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Subcommittee on Health 
Care, DC, Census and the National Archives held a hearing entitled 
``Waste, Abuse and Mismanagement in Government Health Care''. Testimony 
was heard from Deborah Taylor, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of 
the Office of Financial Management, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid; 
Services; Peter Budetti, M.D., Deputy Administrator for Program 
Integrity, and Director of the CMS Center for Program Integrity, 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Gerald Roy, Deputy 
Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General, 
Department of Health and Human Services; Loretta Lynch, United States 
Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and public witnesses.
ENERGY TAX PREVENTION ACT OF 2011
Committee on Rules: The Committee granted, by a record vote of 8 to 3, 
a structured rule providing for consideration of H.R. 910, to amend the 
Clean Air Act to prohibit the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency from promulgating any regulation concerning, taking 
action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a 
greenhouse gas to address climate change, and for other

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purposes. The rule provides for one hour of general debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce. The rule waives all points of order 
against consideration of the bill. The rule provides that the amendment 
in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment and shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points 
of order against the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
The rule makes in order only those amendments printed in the Rules 
Committee report accompanying the resolution. The rule provides that 
each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the 
report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall 
be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the 
report, equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an 
opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject 
to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the 
Committee of the Whole. The rule waives all points of order against the 
amendments printed in the report. Finally, the rule provides one motion 
to recommit with or without instructions. Testimony was heard from 
Chairman Upton; Rep. Waxman; Michael Doyle; Rep. Jackson Lee of Texas; 
Rep. Crowley; Rep. Welch; Rep. Connolly; and Rep. Garamendi.
POLICY PROPOSALS FROM MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO REFORM THE NATION'S 
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: Subcommittee on 
Highways and Transit held a hearing on Policy Proposals from Members of 
Congress to Reform the Nation's Surface Transportation Programs. 
Testimony was heard from Members of the 112th Congress.
VETERANS' AFFAIRS CONSTRUCTION PLANNING
Committee on Veterans' Affairs: Full Committee held a hearing on 
Deconstructing the Department of Veterans Affairs Construction 
Planning. Testimony was heard from W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary 
Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs; Lorelei St. James, 
Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Team; GAO; Robert L. Neary, 
Jr., Acting Director of the Office of Construction and Facilities 
Management, Department of Veterans' Affairs; and public witnesses.
DUPLICATE OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: FOCUS ON WELFARE
Committee on Ways and Means: Subcommittee on Human Resources held a 
hearing on duplication in welfare and related programs under the 
Subcommittee's jurisdiction. Testimony was heard from Kay E. Brown, 
Director, Education, Workforce, and Income Security, GAO; and public 
witnesses.
FY 2012 BUDGET--CIA
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Full Committee held a 
hearing on Central Intelligence Agency Program FY 2012 Budget Overview. 
This was a CLOSED hearing. Testimony was heard from departmental 
officials.

Joint Meetings
  No joint committee meetings were held.